A survey conducted by press release distribution company Newsmaker at the end of last year found some interesting insights when it comes to journalists thoughts on the impact of social media on journalism.
The Newsmaker Australian Media Survey 2013 questioned 412 journalists on challenges in the digital media era, PR best practice, press releases and social media.
The survey found that 40 per cent of journalists use social media to source stories on a daily basis, while over 60 per cent use search engines, press releases and personal contacts daily.
It was discovered that 66 per cent felt social media has made sourcing content for stories easier, with around 60 per cent feeling that social media threatens high quality journalism. A further 63 per cent strongly felt that social media was decreasing journalists’ influence, with 33 per cent strongly disagreeing with this opinion.
Social media is believed to be positive for readership numbers, with 89 per cent of survey participants agreeing that social media spreads journalist stories more quickly to increase readership.
When it came to press releases, only two per cent said they never used press releases, with a mere one per cent wanting follow-ups to a press release on social media.
